Theory of Pedophilia Review of Related Theories
13 Issues
said that a pedophile come from all social classes and they may be young or old, male or female. Their intelligence varies and their common feature is an
abnormal sexual interest in children, although they may not desire children exclusively. About 50 are married and some are also attracted to other age-
appropriate adults and the more commonly name for a pedophile is a child molester http:www.wingsfortruth.infowhatisapedophile.pdf.
Many pedophiles begin with fantasizing and wondering if they can make their fantasies come true in real life. A pedophile may choose vulnerable children,
those from divorced homes and children who are emotionally needy or unhappy, and the quiet ones. They also target children from certain types of families such as
single-parented children, home alone-typed children, and who are less educated. Ryan and Richard Hall said that the reason why a pedophile chooses vulnerable
children is because: a.
A pedophile experience feelings of inferiority, isolation, loneliness, low self-esteem, and emotional immaturity.
b. Their attraction to children usually began when they were adolescents, but
may develop later in life. c.
They are impulsive, have difficulty in controlling their behavior and resisting their urges.
d. They have poor communication skills, lack empathy, may be socially
retarded, have difficulty forming close relationships. e.
Feel they are inherently “different”, by fate, default, or circumstances out of their control and responsibility.
14 f.
Maintain a facade or “front” for the world to see; divide the world into me and them http:www.wingsfortruth.infowhatisapedophile.pdf.
The following are four major characteristics that are typical, which were asserted by Sexual Assault Response Center, or SARC. The writer took from
SARC’S official website, and SARC itself was first established in September 1977, as a part of the Mid-Columbia Mental Health Center.
a.
Long term persistent pattern of behavior, which are limited social
contact as a teenagers, frequent and unexpected moves, planned, repeated, or high-risk attempts.
b.
Children as preferred sexual object, usually a pedophile lives alone,
limited dating relationships if not married, age and gender preference, and refers to children as “clean”, “pure”, “innocent”, “impish”, etc, if married
or have a special relationship with spouse a pedophile will marry someone who does not have high sexual expectations or need.
c.
Well-developed techniques obtaining victim, which means a pedophile
identifies with children better than with adults, they can gain access to children, skilled at manipulating children, has hobbies and interests
appealing children, and shows sexually explicit material to children. d.
Sexual fantasies focusing on children, which are youth-oriented
decorations in house or room, photographing of children, and collecting child
pornography or
child erotica
http:www.sexualassaultresponsecenter.orgoffenders_0.aspx.
15 The last theory of pedophilia is taken from The DSM Diagnostic Criteria
for Pedophilia by Ray Blanchard, who is a member of the DSM-V Workgroup on
Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. He was named Head of Clinical Sexology Services in the Law and Mental Health Program of the CAMH, and serves as a
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Blanchard said that the variables of sexual experiences with children and sexual experiences with adults
are influenced by many factors besides the patient’s preferences: a.
Sexual interaction with consenting adults is legal in most jurisdictions, whereas sexual interaction with children is criminal offense, whether the
children are consenting or not. b.
Opportunities to meet adults and to be alone with adults in privacy are much greater than opportunities to meet unrelated children and to be
alone with them. c.
Social pressures would tend to push pedophiles to experiment sexual with adults in hopes of finding them acceptable sexual partners, whereas social
mores would tend to discourage anyone, pedophilic or not, from experimenting sexually with children.
d. Law and social norms would encourage pedophiles to make use of adults
as “second-best” sexual outlets in place of children, but these factors discourage the use of children’s substitutes for adults Blanchard, 2009: 5.
Blanchard said that a man who has erotic preference for children and who engages children sexually is a pedophile, regardless of his feelings about his
situation, because sexual acts with children count as impairment. If a person does
16 not act on the fantasies or urges of pedophilia, he is not a pedophile. Furthermore,
a person not distressed over the urges or fantasies and who just repeatedly masturbates to them has no disorder. On the other hand, if a person who is not
distressed over them and has sexual contact with a child does have a mental disorder Blanchard, 2009: 3-4.
In the next part of this chapter, the writer would like to highlight studies of experts of psychopathology, about the meaning of several human characteristics
in order to give a prelude understanding about the main character, Humbert. The views of the characteristics that are taken are especially related to relationship
between “man and woman”. There are four studies reviewed here, which help the writer to understand the characteristics better.